The Wimbledon tennis tournament is one of, if not the most, legendary in the world. There isn’t one tennis tournament player worldwide who wants to win more, and it’s probably the last one with strict enough rules on what you have to wear on the court. And as it’s played in London, the royal family is always in attendance for the final weekend.
Last year, Prince George was, for the first time, joining his parents during the grand day. It includes his mother, Princess Kate, handing out the trophy to the winner in several of the classes. This year, Princess Charlotte got the opportunity to attend and watch the final from the royal box for the first time. But one little boy was missing…
Prince Louis was nowhere to be seen in the royal box at the center court for the men’s Wimbledon final. But afterward, it was revealed that Prince William and Princess Kate had made a tough decision, which left the young prince angry.
Prince Louis celebrated his fifth birthday in April. The young prince – who’s behind only his two siblings, Prince George and Princess Charlotte, and father, Prince William, in the line of succession – has swiftly become one of the most popular young royals in the eyes of the public.
After joining his family for several royal outings, pictures of him doing all kinds of ‘controversial’ things, including pulling funny faces, have entertained the public well. On occasion, his mother, Kate Middleton, has even been seen instructing him to behave.
Of course, we must never forget that children will always be children, royal or not. Like his siblings and cousins, Prince Louis does everything that children love, including acting out a little sometimes.
Prince Louis – a fan favorite
Given his standing in the line of succession, it’s unlikely that Prince Louis will ever be king. His older brother, Prince George, is next in line after Prince William, after all. Though, that doesn’t mean Louis won’t have a significant role in the Royal Family, even though William and Kate want to raise their children as normally as possible. That might indicate that he will go down another path, but there is every chance he will feature prominently in the future reigns of his father and brother.
With that said, royal author and expert Katie Nicholl insists that Louis could become a “private citizen” rather than a full-time working royal. It certainly makes sense, considering King Charles is said to be keen on cutting down the number of working royals moving forward in a bid to save money.
But while Louis might not be a working royal in the future, Nicholl argues that he could still have a role at key events.
The Queen’s grandchildren – Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie, and Zara Tindall – have often been involved in more significant royal events in recent years, though they’re not considered full-time working royals.
“George, Charlotte, and Louis, who had starring roles at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June [last year], are being raised by their parents with an awareness of their positions and the roles they will one day carry out in support of the monarchy,” Nicholl wrote in her book The New Royals.
“George knows that, like his papa, he will one day be king, while Charlotte will likely juggle the role of being the spare with a career. Louis could well be a private citizen undertaking occasional royal duties, like William and Harry’s cousins Zara Tindall and Peter Phillips, as well as princesses Beatrice and Eugenie.”
Treated gently by his parents
Given that Louis has now turned five, he most likely has an understanding of what the fuss around his family is all about. Reports insist that William and Kate have started to make Prince George aware of what is expected of him and what the future holds, so Louis indeed has at least some idea of what royalty means.
But while the young boy is being raised according to royal customs and etiquette, his parents are said to be treating him gently.
“William and Kate are easier on Louis because he’s the baby of the family. They don’t want to break his little spirit,” an insider told OK! Magazine.
“Louis is quite a handful,” the source added. “William and Kate do their best to teach him how to behave but understand these events are tiresome for a youngster. They are like other parents with young children in this way. It does make them more relatable to the public.”
“They gently admonish him when he gets out of hand because he’s got to learn,” the source said of George and Charlotte. “William and Kate know the day will come and making faces won’t be ‘cute.’ Hopefully Louis will grow out of it.”
As mentioned, Prince Louis has become a beloved royal family member. On social media – and in the media itself – adorable pictures of the young prince are often in the spotlight in the days after a public event. The funny face as he held his hands over his ears from last year’s Trooping the Colour even made it onto a flag that was seen in the audience at Glastonbury, one of the biggest music festivals in the world with around 20,000 visitors.
Prince Louis flag appeared at Glastonbury – warning issued
The crowd at the legendary music festival, arranged for the first time in 1970, is known for having big flags featuring everything from a country’s flag to images of people. This year, Louis’ face made it onto one such flag.
Many thought it cute, and royal fans have enjoyed how the lovable pictures of him have gone viral.
Even so, royal expert Daniela Elser takes a different viewpoint, issuing a chilling warning about how it may negatively affect his future.
“Put that kid in public, maybe in the vicinity of a military parade or out on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, and the five-year-old will guarantee Fleet Street’s photo editors a cheeky, charming shot,” Elser wrote. “Oh, it’s an adorable image, and you would have to be Cruella de Ville sans Dalmatians not to be thoroughly charmed and delighted by it.
“But I actually think, looking at that Glasto flag, that we have reached a tipping point – Louis has gone from royal kidlet to pop culture caricature, from child to entertaining character. Except he’s a boy, not a perpetual meme.”
Moreover, the royal expert added that if Louis is continuously portrayed as a funny character, we could end up with “another Prince Harry.”
“We owe it to Louis to not make a joke out of him, to not render him a punchline or a cartoonish figure,” Elser explained.
“And if we fail, 30 years from now, it will be him sitting on a couch and pouring out his hurt feelings to Oprah’s hologram.”
Prince Louis denied from attending Wimbledon
Every year, Prince William and Princess Kate have made it a tradition to visit the Wimbledon tennis tournament. The legendary event, first played in 1877, is the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is often regarded as the most prestigious.
Princess Kate has handed out the trophy to the winner for several years, and in 2022, they brought their eldest son, Prince George, with them for the first time. This year, it was Princes Charlotte’s turn to make her grand entrance in the royal box at the center court for the final. But one person was still missing.
Prince Louis was nowhere to be seen, and sadly, it was his parents’ decision. Most likely, the young prince was considered too young to attend the Wimbledon final – not only because it is usually more than three hours long, and you have to be very quiet, but maybe it is also not the best place to be for a young and restless prince.
Kate and George have played plenty of tennis, and the future king has even gotten his private lesson from eight-time Wimbledon champion and tennis legend Roger Federer. Now, Louis appears to have taken after his elder brother’s immense interest in the sport. According to Kate, he had practiced being a ball boy – only to discover he wouldn’t be joining the rest of his family at the tournament.
It’s safe to say he was not happy about it.
“Louis was very upset”
Speaking to one of the officials before the final began, Kate said Louis had kept a close eye on the Wimbledon tournament.
“It’s Charlotte’s first time, George came last year. They’ve been eagerly watching. Charlotte you’ve been getting to grips with the scoring. Louis was very upset he wasn’t coming today,” Kae said.
16-year-old ball boy Joel, who spoke with Kate beforehand, recalled her words to the Mirror, “He [Louis] tries to practice the standing and staying serious, like us. He tries to practice the stands and how we stand at the back of the court and next to the players.”
Although Louis couldn’t attend the Wimbledon final this year, he has undoubtedly gotten a part of what the glamorous event can bring. Together with the royals in their royal box, celebrities and other tennis legends usually join them for the final. And in 2019, tennis legend, former Wimbledon winner, and fashion icon Stan Smith gave Louis a special gift.
He handed Kate a pair of his iconic Adidas trainers, personalized with a message from Stan Smith in a golden color.
“To Louis,” it read alongside Stan Smith’s signature.
Prince Louis and his siblings aren’t returning to Lambrook School near Windsor until September 6. Until then, they will likely attend some royal events with their parents, but of course, also have as much fun as possible at their country houses. The Prince and Princess of Wales will most likely bring their children to their Anmer Hall home on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.
Prince Louis and his family could get a new summer house
But the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children might have even another significant estate on their hands pretty soon.
King Charles and Queen Camilla usually spend their summer holiday at the Scottish estate of Birkhall, where they celebrate their wedding anniversary and honeymoon yearly. However, reports suggest that Charles will change their summer plans and instead follow in his mother’s footsteps.
Sources told Vanity Fair that Charles plans to gift Birkhall to Prince William and Kate – he and Camilla will spend their holiday at Balmoral instead.
“Both Charles and Camilla love Birkhall; for them, it is home, and it would have been the queen’s preference to be at Birkhall because it is quiet and a proper getaway, but the king is keen to follow in his mother’s footsteps, by taking up residence at Balmoral,” the source said.
There is always another option for Prince William and Princess Kate. They have several times returned to the privately owned island Tresco Island in the Isles of Scilly, also known as “The Cornish Caribbean.” Only time will tell whether Louis will get to practice some tennis with his parents and siblings this summer. But we certainly hope he will be in the stands for the Wimbledon final next year.